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Formation and Interfacial Behavior of Chitosan-Alginate Interpolyelectrolyte Complexes: From Bulk Dispersions to
Rafael Martín-López1, Ana Puente-Santamaría1, Ramón G Rubio1
1Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ciencias s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Polymers
|November 27, 2025
Summary
Chitosan (CS) and sodium alginate (ALG) interpolyelectrolyte complexes (IPECs) show enhanced aggregation and surface activity near neutral charge equivalence. Layer-by-layer films demonstrate structural integrity for surface engineering applications.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Biomaterials
Background:
- Chitosan (CS) and sodium alginate (ALG) are biocompatible polysaccharides with potential in various applications.
- Understanding interpolyelectrolyte complex (IPEC) formation is crucial for designing functional materials.
- Interfacial properties and film formation of CS-ALG complexes require detailed investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation, physicochemical properties, and interfacial behavior of chitosan-alginate interpolyelectrolyte complexes (CS-ALG IPECs).
- To explore the influence of mixing protocols and solution composition on CS-ALG IPEC formation and stability.
- To characterize the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of CS-ALG films and their viscoelastic properties.
Main Methods:
- Turbidity, ζ-potential, conductivity, and interfacial tension measurements were employed to study bulk IPEC properties.
- Mixing protocols and solution composition were varied to assess their impact on complex formation.
- Quartz Crystal Microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) was used to monitor the assembly and properties of LbL CS-ALG films.
Main Results:
- CS-ALG IPEC formation and stability were found to be dependent on polymer concentration and mixing protocols.
- Turbidity and interfacial tension showed strong dependence near the stoichiometric charge equivalence point (Z ≈ 1), indicating enhanced aggregation and surface activity.
- LbL CS-ALG films exhibited quasi-linear growth, increasing elastic modulus, and robust viscoelastic properties with layer number.
Conclusions:
- Neutral CS-ALG complexes formed at Z ≈ 1 display significant aggregation and surface activity, particularly with excess alginate.
- LbL assembly of CS-ALG leads to structurally sound multilayers with potential for surface engineering and encapsulation.
- This study provides a comprehensive understanding of CS-ALG complexation, bridging bulk properties to interfacial assemblies.
Keywords:
Quartz Crystal Microbalancealginatechitosaninterfacial tensioninterpolyelectrolyte complexeslayer-by-layer assemblyturbidityzeta potentialMore Related Videos
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